Debate: Should Manchester United's Wayne Rooney be punished for swearing at the cameras?

Not for the first time, Wayne Rooney's football has been overshadowed by his
behaviour. Has he gone too far this time? Should he be punished by the FA
for bringing the game into disrepute?

Heat of the moment: Wayne Rooney swears a TV camera after completing his hat-trick against West HamPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

6:23PM BST 03 Apr 2011

YES, says Jim White. Aggression is part of the fabric of football, but that doesn't change the fact that Rooney has an obligation to the kids whose adoration has helped turn him into a global brand. They helped make him fantastically wealthy; the least he can do is bear them in mind when he is in the public eye. The FA should give him a one-match ban to remind his fellow professionals of their responsibilities.

NO, says Mark Ogden. There's no reason to punish Wayne. The striker said some four-letter words in the heat of the moment which impressionable children will hear - but those same impressionable children will hear the same words every day in the playground. Eric Cantona did not inspire a generation to violence when he kung-fu kicked a fan, so there's no reason to think kids will start swearing because of a few indistinct words on TV.